Russia Summons Armenia Ambassador Over EU Pivot

(MENAFN) Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin, for consultations in Moscow over Yerevan's accelerating shift toward the European Union — a move the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday is actively undermining cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The summons signals a sharp deterioration in relations between the two longtime allies as Armenia's westward trajectory grows increasingly difficult to reverse.

Putin Weighs In
Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to frame the dispute in economic rather than geopolitical terms a day earlier, characterizing Armenia's choice between the EU and the EAEU as purely a matter of trade and economic preference. He warned, however, that abandoning EAEU membership would cost Yerevan a substantial package of preferential economic benefits.

A Bloc United Against Yerevan's Pivot
The pressure campaign extended beyond Moscow alone. The presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan issued a joint statement Friday calling on Armenia to hold a referendum at the earliest opportunity to determine whether the country will pursue EU membership or remain within the EAEU. The statement cautioned that Armenia's EU bid poses significant risks to the economic security of fellow bloc members, and that partner states must take measures to shield themselves from resulting financial losses.

The Point of No Return
The crisis was set in motion in April 2025, when Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed legislation formally initiating the country's EU accession process. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has since acknowledged the unavoidable reality — that Armenia cannot maintain simultaneous membership in both the EU and the EAEU, effectively forcing a definitive choice between Brussels and Moscow.

The EAEU, established in 2015, currently comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

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